Guild Wars 2

Conditionmancer is the 3rd worst class in the game at a Condition based style. Thieves, and Mesmers are below us.

In PvE/WvW it doesn’t necessarily matter, condition application is far more reliable than Well-based DPS Necromancers in those aspects, however it is still somewhat weak. Overall you can’t expect a conditionmancer to compare to other classes.

If you wish to go that route, I’d recommend a full-rabid Vampire condition build, as they work very well for roaming/dungeons compared to normal conditionmancers. Scepter/Dagger for the condition application, Dagger/Warhorn for the leeching.

Epidemic is a pretty useful utility for a conditonmancer, however the weapon skills just aren’t there yet..

Lets take a look at scepter damage
1: Slow auttoattack that stacks bleeds and poison at an okay rate but has trouble building
2. Slow AoE bleed/cripple skill that is hard to use against moving foes or when you’re being focus fired.
3. Rather Useless skill that does very little damage even with a ton of conditions.
OH Daggers passable..

Double Pistol Engineer on the Other Hand
1 Autoattack that stacks bleeds fairly fast and has a small AoE and can be traited to PIERCE.
2. Poison Dart Volley that gives a pretty good duration posion. can also trait to pierce
3. Bouncing blind/Confusion that is very useful.
4. A very very powerful burn skill when used point blank. I say no more.
5. An AoE snare/cripple. useful enough

Looking at traits we see an easy source of burn on crit, extra bleed on crit, possible swiftness on crit, vigor on swiftness and ways to get a ton of might and other boons in the elixer line.

In their current state necromancer can’t keep up with classes handed so many other ways to apply diverse and powerful damaging conditions and also maintain a huge array of boons.

Power Necromancers are in a bit better shape, but hopefully the balance patch will give the necromancer more potential to run powerful condition builds.